In order to change input focus to a user interface object in a user interface for receiving input from an input device, a user may choose to navigate across several user interface objects in the user interface using a directional input device, such as arrow keys on a keyboard, until successfully arriving upon the user interface object desired to have input focus. Such a process for traversing user interface objects using a directional input device to change input focus of a user interface object in a user interface may be known as directional focus navigation. Although performing directional focus navigation across a few user interface objects in a user interface to change input focus to a particular user interface object may be a relatively simple task for a user, navigating across a large set of user interface objects using directional input focus may be a frustrating user experience.
For example, directional focus navigation may produce unexpected results for users when navigating a large set of user interface objects for changing input focus. Typical directional focus navigation software may choose successive user interface objects during navigation based upon immediate proximity to the previous user interface object that had input focus when navigating among user interface objects in a given direction. Unfortunately, each successive traversal may progressively lead away from the general direction of the path desired by the user. As a result, the user may need to perform course corrections during directional focus navigation until successfully arriving at the user interface object desired to have input focus.
What is needed is a way for users to navigate more predictably and reliably across user interface objects for changing input focus using a directional input device. Moreover, such a system and method should allow a user to navigate across a large set of user interface elements that may receive input focus.